New City Players Presents the Southeastern U.S. Premiere of Burst-Rachel Bublitz’s Sharp Dark Comedy Explores Corporate Ambition, Tech Leadership, and the Price of Saying You Can Save the World.
New City Players proudly presents the southeastern U.S. premiere of Rachel Bublitz’s razor-sharp dark comedy, Burst, starring Nicole Hulett, Mary Gundlach, and Dayana Morales in a propulsive, funny, and uncomfortably relevant story about a tech CEO whose perfectly constructed world begins to crack — one question at a time.
One CEO. One office. One very bad night. When Sarah Boyd, founder of Tactix — a tech startup on a mission to eliminate plastic from the earth — finds herself facing a relentless journalist and a wavering CTO in the same late night, the gap between her company’s promises and its reality starts to show. What begins as a high-stakes interview careens through corporate responsibility, scientific integrity, and the seductive machinery of belief, arriving somewhere funny, unsettling, and impossible to look away from.
This 90-minute corporate thriller-comedy unfolds entirely in Sarah’s office on the Tactix campus, where Sarah (Nicole Hulett), Jennifer Weaver (Mary Gundlach), and journalist Alexis Lyons (Dayana Morales) collide over the course of one electric night — leaving nothing, and no one, intact.
“Burst points a funny and perceptive finger at corporate responsibility, power, and the lengths a person will go to make their dream a reality” says Producing Artistic Director, Tim Davis. “It’s the kind of play that will make you laugh and squirm in your seat at the same time. I can’t wait for audiences to get in this pressure cooker of a dark comedy for 90 minutes.”
Burst is the southeastern U.S. premiere of the play, which received its world premiere at Alleyway Theatre in Buffalo, NY in 2022. The production is directed by NCP ensemble member Elizabeth Price.
In addition to performances spread over two and a half weeks, New City Players has planned engaging post-show events that take audiences Beyond the Stage:
Pay What You Wish Preview! New City Players believes great theatre should be accessible to everyone. Our Pay What You Wish Preview offers tickets at any price you choose (as low as $5), removing financial barriers so that cost is never the reason someone misses a great show. Join us for the first public performance of Burst on Friday, July 10th and pay what feels right for you.
Opening Night Reception! Celebrate the southeastern premiere of Burst with libations and small bites with the cast and creative team immediately following the performance. Saturday, July 11th after the 8pm show.
Sunday Talkbacks! Interactive post-show discussions with the cast and creative team connecting the themes of Burst to real community voices. July 12th features a special talkback with visiting playwright Rachel Bublitz. July 26th is co-presented with NAWBO South Florida, bringing women in business leaders into conversation with the artists. All three Sundays following the performance.
Weekend Wine Downs! Casual conversations and libations after Friday and Saturday night performances where patrons can discuss the play with each other and members of the creative team. July 17th, 18th, and 25th.
Poets in the Public Square A one-night-only live poetry performance after the July 25th performance during the aftershow Wine Down where the featured poets from the exhibition bring their original works from the lobby walls to the stage. Curated by Wild Bloom Society.
Playwright Visit! Award-winning playwright Rachel Bublitz will be in Fort Lauderdale opening weekend, participating in a post-show talkback on July 12th and leading a playwriting masterclass on the evening of July 13th.
Performance Details
Burst runs for 11 performances from July 11–26, 2026, at Island City Stage (2304 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305). Tickets are $40-45 with the exception of the “pay what you wish” preview on July 10th. Tickets can be purchased online at newcityplayers.org. For student and group discounts, email boxoffice@newcityplayers.org or call (954) 376-6114.
ABOUT NEW CITY PLAYERS — New City Players is a not-for-profit, ensemble-based, professional theatre company in Fort Lauderdale dedicated to staging transformative works of live theatre and serving as a public square where stories spark dialogue and artistry fosters connection.
